Plenty of snow in the Pyrenees. Record in recent days in the Hautes-Pyrénées, with 1.49m of snow in Luz-Ardiden, more than one meter on the heights of Luchonnais (Haute-Garonne), between 60 and 70 cm on the summits of Couserans (Ariège), and 50 cm for Ax-3-Domaines. Snowflakes arriving at the right time for the opening of most of the stations next Saturday.
Claire Darnaud, owner of the Super G restaurant in Superbagnères and mountain delegate at UMIH31, the union of hotel and restaurant professionals in Haute-Garonne, was the guest of France Bleu and France 3 Occitanie on Tuesday.
With the snow, has the stress subsided?
Completely ! It’s been three years since it’s very complicated, between the lack of snow, the Covid. It’s magic, we have a meter of snow in Superbagnères, it’s splendid. We can not wait to resume our work, to resume, to open the stations and to find in our beautiful snow-capped mountains.
How long has it been since you last snowed for Christmas?
Me, I started my activity in 2018. That year, we started to have snow on January 20th. The year after the 2019 season, it was complicated. We didn’t have any snow either for technical reasons (Editor’s note: failure of snow cannons). Last year, we had snow, but we had the Covid, so we didn’t have a full season. Since I opened the restaurant, so I am delighted and I hope that I cross my fingers that all the factors will be present so that we can finally achieve a full season.
Are you worried about the implementation of sanitary measures?
No, we’re used to it now, we’ll be careful. The fact that we have to put on the mask is not comfortable for hospitality professions like ours to work with the mask. But we prefer to put on the mask, that there are health passes, and be able to work.
How will the sanitary pass control be carried out in the resort?
I think they are in the process of studying if it is for the taking of package or not. But hey, I think there will be no problem there. There is the staff in place who will do everything necessary to ensure that access to the slopes is made with the health pass. We, the restaurateurs, took the fold, it takes five seconds to verify. Anyway, after three years in partial activity, we have to work, we have no choice.
Are you still worried that the health pass will deter some holidaymakers?
There is always a population that is not vaccinated (Editor’s note: 12% of the French population over 12 years old does not have a double dose). So yes, some people will not be able to come skiing, or they will do anti-Covid tests. But when we look at the occupancy rates of hotels, lodges, guest houses, etc., we are at over 80%. Even if we will have fewer foreign customers – English, Spanish – than usual.